Hi Norris.
you just amazed me by knowing Rhubarb.
I grew up at the bottom of that hill. I passed his collection of sheds from which he worked, on my way to school. As yong children, in the 70s, we would run passed his shed shouting rhubarb, and then run away quickly. If you went to his shop to buy or for a repair, you respectfully called him mr wilkinson. He shop had long gone by the time I became "cyclist".
What prompted my memory was an advert i just noticed in a 1930s national clarion cc handbook I was cataloguing. He advertised as a lightweight specialist, which amazed me as to me his was always a pile of rusting old cycles.
I too was a member of the road club, but not until my thirties. I started my cycling career with the Condor RC. (i was the Road Clubs 12 hour champion a few years ago, before I moved to Scotland)
Regards
Martin Coopland, Scotland, http://www.BatesBicycles.com